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This is Deer Land?
(VERSAILLES, Ind.) – Two foreign exchange students who go to South Ripley High School are sharing their experiences as the semester winds down.
Sara Cremades is from Valencia, Spain which has a population of more than 700,000 people.
Coming to Versailles was a culture shock as she didn’t expect to end up in rural America.
“I thought I was going to be in a big city and not here! We call it deer land because every time that we drive we seem to find a deer,” Cremades laughed.
She says her favorite part is meeting new people and learning about our culture.
Cremades also appreciates the differences in sports that she can play. In Spain, she is limited to one sport per year. However, she has participated in basketball, soccer, softball and track for South Ripley.
Fellow exchange student Maria Vittoria Belisardi is also spending the semester at South Ripley. She comes from a small town about two hours northwest of Milan, Italy.
Belisardi has been involved in cross country, track and competitive youth shooting.
She is part of the Versailles American Legion Junior Shooting Club who recently won the state championship.
She shot pistols in Italy but didn’t pick up a rifle until she arrived in Indiana.
She learned quickly and ended up being named the American Legion State Champion in the sporter class.
Maria and Sara have both noticed how schools like South Ripley serve a bigger purpose in their communities.
“School is very different here. There are so many sports and activities that you can do in school and in Italy it isn’t like that,” Belisardi said. “Even the approach with the teachers, I really prefer the method here.”
“You really live the school experience here, and in Italy, you just go there.”
The students both agree that there is something special about Southeast Indiana and the people who live here.
“For me, I really had to open my mind. I come from the big city. And then to say that I got thrown into the middle of nowhere. You know, sometimes you have to open your mind and maybe this place is better than where I live,” Cremades said.
Belisardi offered a similar sentiment about the people she has come across, adding that it is easier to meet new friends.
“You learn not only the opinion and the points of view of the adult, but, also the teenagers or people your same age and it's good to hear those ideas,” Maria said.
Maria and Sara will finish out the semester at South Ripley before returning to their respective countries.
